Art op bestbjjgtiye



Noy. 16 1926. 1,607,328

0. H. L. WERNICKE ART OF DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATIQN v Filed Sept. 9, 1921 five 257 0M0 HZ. Z0 1 [0%6,

Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

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Application filed September 9, 1921. Serial No. 499,495.

The present invention relatesto the art of destructive distillation of matter and more particularly resinous or pitchy woods such as fat pine wood and the like. it will be fully understood from the following .de- .scription, illustrated by the accompanying drawing, which shows in broken elevation, and partly in section, apparatus suitable for carrying the invention into effect.

Referring more particularly to thedrawing, the numeral '5 indicates the end of a suitable retort which is connected by means of a vapor conduit 6 with a vertical tubular condenser 'Z. The cooling medium, usually water, is admitted to the condenser-tubes through the pipe 8 and passes out through the pipe 9. The cooled gases and condensed liquids issue from the lower end of the condenser through a discharge outlet 10, which communicates with a trapped outlet 11 for the liquid products of distillation. The trap in outlet 11 prevents the discharge of gas therethrough. Uncondensed gas is discharged through the vertical outlet 12 which is closa'ble by means of the valve 13. The

gases which are discharged past the valve enter the chamber 14 provided with an outlet 15 from which they may be disposed, or allowed to escape. Bafiies 16 may be provided in the upper portion of chamber 14 to hold back entrained liquid carried by the The valve 13 is balanced so that it opens automatically when the pressure in the condenser and still rises above that beyond the gas discharge, and'closes when the pressure in the condenser and still equals or falls below that beyond the gas discharge. A

suitable construction for accomplishing this purpose is shown in the drawing. The valve is provided with an upright stem 17 which is guided in a spider 18. A weighted'lever 19, pivoted outside the expansion chamber 14, engages the valve stem 17 and is so adjusted as to cause the valve to open when the pressure below it exceeds that beyond the gas discharge and close, upon the formation of an appreciable vacuum in the condenser and still or at a pressure therein equal to that beyond the gas discharge.

In destructively distilling matter, and particularly fatty or resinous woods, the distribution of heat within the retort is in general very irregular, some portions of the retort being highly heated while other portions thereof are at relatively low temperathey be withdrawn from the retort ,as rapidly I as possible. The entire range of products are ordinarily .passedthrough a condenser, which by its-condensing action is often sufiicient to create .a slight and desirable vacuum. in the retort. Under other circumstances fixed gases are formed causing a back pressure in the condenser and retort, and the productsof distillation are thus restrained in the retort and are further decomposed with the formation of more fixed gas.

In accordance with the present invention, when a proportion of fixed gas becomes such as to cause pressure in the retort and con denser exceeding the pressure beyond the valve'outlet, the valve plate 13 is unsealed until equilibrium is re-established. The gas outlet 13, however, automatically closes when the pressure in the condenser and the retort becomes equal to or less than that beyond the gas discharge, thereby preventing suction of air into the condenser during the periods of operation in which its action produces a vacuum in the retort. The suction of the condenser is thereby exerted solely upon the retort and the sensitive vapors of the distillation products are rapidly withdrawn, substantially unaffected by the in regular heating or overheating of the retort.

described in connection with the specific cletails of an embodiment thereof, it is not intended that these details shall be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention, except in so far as included in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

' 1 The improvement in the method of destructively distilling woody materials wherein the products of distillation are subjected to partial condensation, which comprises freely discharging all liquids and gases from the condenser under substantially atmospheric pressure conditions during the entire run while automatically counteracting suction into the condenser from beyond the gas discharge.

Although the present invention has been 2. The improvement in the method of destructively distilling woody material wherein the products of distillation are subjected to partial condensation, which comprises trapping out the liquid from the gaseous products of condensation, freely discharging the gaseous products under substantially external atmospheric conditions, and automatically counteracting back suction during such periods in which the pressure in the condenser is not above that beyond the gas discharge.

3. In Wood distillation apparatus, a retort or still, a condenser into which the vapors from said retort or still are discharged, an outlet from said condenser through which the liquid and gaseous cooled products are passed, a trapped liquid discharge communicating with said outlet, a gas discharge communicating with said outlet, abafiied expansion chamber into which said gas discharge opens, a self acting valve seated upon said gas discharge in said expansion chamher, and balancing means engaging the valve, adjustable to open the valve when the pressure in the retort and the condenser exceeds that beyond the gas discharge and to close it When such pressure does not exceed that beyond the gas discharge.

4. In wood distillation apparatus, a retort or still, a condenser into which the vapors from said retort are discharged, an outlet from said condenser through which the liquid and gaseous cooled products are passed, a trapped liquid discharge communicating with said outlet, a gas discharge communicating with said outlet, an expansion cha1n her into which said gas discharge opens, a self-acting valve seated upon said gas dis charge in said expansion chamber, said valve opening when the pressure in the retort and the condenser exceeds that beyond the gas discharge and closing when such pressure does not exceed that beyond the gas discharge.

OTTO H. L. VVERNICKE. 

